UMPI wind turbine update

To the editor:
    We’ve heard from numbers of readers with the question: What’s wrong with the wind turbine?
    In mid-September our general contractors confirmed their earlier diagnosis that a shaft in the nacelle (housing the major motor parts at the top of the tower) had broken and needed to be replaced. Needless to say, this was not good news. It may be the explanation for a very bad last six months of turbine operation that has included four multi-day shutdowns of the turbine. A second problem has been the loss of data about the operation of the turbine (e.g., wind speed, electricity generated).
    Most of the broken shaft has been removed from the nacelle by the general contractor. The contractor is combining diagnostic work on the parts with a search for a new shaft. University and University System expert advisors are monitoring those processes closely. We need the answers to the questions 1) why did the shaft fail? and 2) what is the best way to replace it that avoids further failures? Gathering this information looks to be a complex and time-consuming process.
    In addition to this, our detailed contract calls for the general contractor to have the turbine operating and ready to generate electricity when the wind is available 95 percent or more of the time. Since the start of 2011 we have been well below that performance standard. Prior to early 2011, we were on pace to exceed our first year’s generation of 680,000 kilowatt hours of electricity for a savings to campus of slightly over $100,000. With the shutdowns, we ended up generating 580,000 kilowatt hours and saving an estimated $77,000 in year two of operation.
    As we move through these issues, we continue to work with the contractor and hope to get the turbine up and running in time for the approaching wind season. As useful information becomes available, we will post it on the UMPI wind turbine website.
Don Zillman
UMPI president